Alan, David, Chris and Kevin go to the Mystic Brew coffee shop, and meet Shane, an old friend of David’s.

And now the annoying warning message:

This story deals with sex between males, in graphic detail. If you're not over 18, this is illegal for you to even look at, so stop right now.  If homosexual content is not your cup of tea, you can leave the tea party.  The characters and story are copyright Teiran’s player 2003, do not redistribute without permission.  The Bunny Boyz are copyright Max BlackRabbit, and used without permission under fair use laws as an in-joke only.  I make no claims to the Bunny Boyz characters, I’m just mentioning them because I think they’re cool characters.  Otherwise, enjoy!

-Teiran

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Coffee Shop Blues

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            “I can’t believe he just blew me off!”  Alan banged the table again and everyone grabbed their coffee cups as the table jumped under the force of the rat’s blow. Chris and Kevin glanced at the rat as they held their coffee safely out of reach, but David grabbed his cup a little late and it spilled across the table.  The kangaroo gasped as the coffee burned his paw, flinging the hot liquid out of his fur with a shake of his paw.

“Damn it!” Alan hissed, quickly grabbing some napkins to wipe the spill up. “I’m sorry man…” Alan muttered, the rat’s long tail whipping back and forth behind him. The rat cursed himself under his breath.  He really needed to stop these stupid outbursts, but the wolf just made him so mad sometimes…  Alan flinched as his tail slapped into someone behind him, and he flattened his ears in embarrassment and annoyance when the person yipped in pain and surprise.   This was all Keith’s fault, the rat fumed as he wiped the table clean. “I mean, I’ve been talking about this for weeks now,” Alan muttered, “I need his help to do this.  He could have at least told me he had a freaking game…”

            David sat a little nervously beside Alan as the rat began to mutter to himself about his friend Keith again.  The kangaroo sipped what was left of the cup of coffee Chris had been kind enough to buy him.  The whole table was really quiet as Alan continued to mutter and wipe up the spill.  The kangaroo had never met Alan before, and it was kind of interesting to watch his teammates react to the rat’s outbursts. 

Every time Alan said Keith’s name, Kevin flattened his ears a little lower and his face got red every time the rat asked him a question about what the wolf had been doing.  Chris meanwhile was just ignoring the rat’s outbursts like they just didn’t matter.  The leopard seemed far more interested in hitting on their waitress, a calico cat who kept coming back to the table so Chris could talk to her.  David himself had no idea who Keith was, he had never meet the wolf.  So he didn’t really know what to think as he listened to Alan bad mouth him. 

Meanwhile the coffee shop around them was packed.  Various bands and singers got up on the stage across the room and played some very bad karaoke.  It was open mic night, and all the local bands and singers had turned out.  In fact the coffee house was packed, and when a good band or poet played, the crowd would cheer and sing along, but for the most part the acts were terrible.  Some were so badly off key they got jeered off stage.

David sighed, wondering why he had agreed to come along at all. Chris had assured him it would be a great time, that after the coffee shop they were going to killer party at the football quarterback’s house that was for athletes only.  At first it sounded like fun.  A night away from Mrs. Perez and his new foster family sounded like a great time, but now all the kangaroo wanted was to be back in his tiny room alone.  He wanted to be searching for Todd, not sipping coffee with an angry rat and teammates he hardly knew.  David looked around the table as everybody just sat there staring at each other, and the kangaroo coughed uncomfortably.        

“So, when are you gonna go sing Alan?”  David asked as he shifted his thick tail under the table after another person stepped on it. 

“I’m not going on tonight,” Alan muttered, turning around in his chair so he could watch the stage as a new band lead by a raccoon began to ring out the opening cords of the their first song on a big black guitar. 

David blinked in surprise, “What?”  He shouted as the drummer began to pound out a slow beat and a hyena behind a keyboard/mixing board began to mix the music live and as loud as it could go.  The hard beat of the drums and the guitar mixing with the techno background made the whole coffee shop shake and the music seemed to roll over the voices of the crowd, drowning everyone out. “Then why are we here?”  David shouted above the music, “I mean, this place is really crowded…” 

Alan looked back at the kangaroo with a glare, “Yeah, it wasn’t this busy last month.  I’m never going to get to talk with the bands.” 

David blinked again, not quite sure if he’d heard the rat correctly.  David swiveled his long ears forward, “Huh?  Why would you wanna talk with the other bands?”  But Alan didn’t answer; he was too engrossed with watching the band and listening to the music.

David looked at Chris, who was busy flirting with the waitress. “Why isn’t he going to play?”

Chris flashed David a grin as the waitress moved away, “Because Alan has his own band. ”  Chris leaned closer; whispering in David’s ear so only the kangaroo could hear him.  “He just needs other people to be in it is all.”  David started to laugh with Chris, but just then the raccoon on stage opened his mouth and began to sing. 

“I was the man who took your breath away.

I made you smile like the sun and it kept me warm

I was the one who loved you so much it tore us apart

Because I was only filling his place in your heart.”

The raccoon’s voice felt like a knife in David’s ribs.  Not because of the sound. The singer’s voice was beautiful and rich, a soothing sultry croon.  The kind of voice a person never forgets.  David never had.  He nearly dropped his coffee as he spun around in his chair and stared at the raccoon as he continued to sing.

“I tried as hard as I could to keep you happy

I fought with all my might to keep you safe,

But nothing I did seemed to matter

Nothing could fix the hole in your heart.

Alan jumped a little when David dropped his cup, which clattered on the table but didn’t spill this time because it was empty.  Alan frowned at the kangaroo.  The kangaroo seemed to be about to freak out completely over the song.  David’s les were bouncing and his paws shook, and Alan almost winced when he saw the look of despair on the kangaroo’s face.  Alan knew that look.  He’d seen it on his own face in the mirror late at night when his parents were fighting. 

David felt hollow inside and the room looked like it was slipping away from him.  The kangaroo’s ears flattened against his head and he wanted to look away, but he just stared at the stage as the raccoon he knew was named Shane continued to sing. 

“I knew that I was filling someone’s shoes

but your love for him never changed how I felt.

Though I stood in his shadow, I was glad

I was filling his place in your heart

David’s eyes closed, and Alan watched carefully as the kangaroo looked away from the stage, his shoulders sagging.  Something was really wrong with him.  Alan felt for David.  Not because he knew the kangaroo, but because his reaction was just so strong, so gut wrenching.  It was pure emotion, and Alan could respect that.  David looked like he was ready to cry right in front of him.

Alan’s eyes flicked to Chris and Kevin.  Maybe they could help, they knew David after all.  Neither of them was paying any attention to the kangaroo.  Chris’s eyes were fixed on the feline waitress who was now sitting in his lap and his paws were firmly fixed on her butt.  Kevin was trying hard to ignore their flirtations. The dalmatian was staring at his coffee cup with such determination that Alan thought it might crack in his paws.  He had the same look on his face that David did. 

“Nothing made me sadder then to hold you,

Nothing made me happier then to be with you

No one had ever made me feel that way,

And I wanted to spend my life with you.”

            David felt sick.  It was Shane onstage; it simply had to be.  He looked different then he had back at the Academy.  His head fur was longer and he had pulled it back in a ponytail with his bangs hanging down around his face.  The raccoon’s black leather jacket rippled under the lights and his ripped, tattered shorts showed off his legs.  Behind him, his tail swished like a flag as he sang.  He looked completely different then the sharply dressed boy with a crew cut he had been forced to be at the academy.

But no matter what he looked like David would never forget Shane’s voice or his eyes, which shone brightly as he sang.  The last time David had heard Shane’s voice the raccoon had been climbing into a greyhound bus outside Roosevelt Academy almost six months ago.  All he had said then was “Goodbye.”

“When we were alone, I kept you safe. 

I tried as hard as I could to keep you happy

I fought with all my might to make you smile,

But I was only filling his place in your heart.”

            David had to do something.  He had to get the raccoon’s attention somehow.  “Shane!”  David shouted over the music.  David stood up, waving at Shane as the raccoon poured his heart out to the crowd.  He knew the guys were watching him.  Even Chris had looked up once he’d shouted, but he didn’t care.  He needed Shane to know he was here.  The raccoon turned, and his eyes locked with David’s. The kangaroo let his paws fall to his side, and raccoon’s deep brown eyes stayed fixed on David’s until the song ended.

“My arms were there, but you wanted his,

So you went in search of your other half,

The man whose place I filled for so long,

And when you left, you behind a hole inside me”

“So now I know why you left me,

I know the longing you felt inside your soul,

To be in the arms of the one you loved,

To fill the hole you left in my heart.”

The music trailed away to nothing as Shane’s last words echo through the coffee shop and after a few moments of reflection the crowd cheered.  David closed his eyes as Shane looked away from him and waved to the crowd.  The kangaroo sat back down and mentally cursed himself for being so stupid. 

Shane was here, in this very damn town!  David wanted to kick himself he felt so stupid.  How selfish could he get? He’d been so concerned about finding Todd; he hadn’t even tried to contact the only real friend he’d had at the Academy.  Sure, he had only been out a week but Shane was part of the reason he was out of Roosevelt at all.  The raccoon had suffered and bleed to get him out.  Yet once David was free he had been so happy just for the chance to look for Todd he hadn’t even looked back. 

Reality snapped back as Alan asked, “Do you know the singer?” 

David blinked and nodded, trying to think of what to say without meeting anyone’s gaze.  “Yeah, yeah you could say I do.” 

“He’s got a great voice.” Alan said. David looked at the rat; who had an eager, sort of nervous grin on his face. “You think you can introduce me?”  Alan asked.

“Sure.  I want to talk with him too.”

The table got quite again as the second song began, until Kevin coughed a little and said, “So, um, how do you know him?”  The dalmatian asked, trying not to watch as Chris went back to the waitress.  David looked Kevin in the eye, “We went to school together.”

Alan seemed satisfied by that and went back to listening to the music, but Kevin stared at David for a long moment.  The kangaroo meet Kevin’s gaze and the dog swallowed nervously.  Then Kevin blushed deeply and looked away, his paws fiddling with his coffee cup.  Obviously he realized what “We went to school together.” probably meant. 

David shook his head and sighed.  He and Kevin hadn’t talked about the locker room and the first time they had meet since that first time they had seen each other again.  The kangaroo didn’t know just how to approach the dalmatian about it, and Kevin seemed far to shy now to say anything first.  David shook his head and sighed, closing his eyes and just listening to Shane’s band as they began to play another song.

He didn’t want to think about all the things he’d done in the Academy, all the guys he’d gone down on just to prove to him self that he was gay.  To get back at his dad for what he had done.  Or all of the abuse he had suffered at the paws of the instructors because of it. 

There had been a whole group of tail raisers back in the academy.  They were the guys who would do anything in a broom closet with you.  Some did it just to get back at their parents, others did it to prove the instructors wrong.  Some did it because it was how they stayed sane.  Shane had been one of those guys except he had been David’s real friend too.  The raccoon had been so important back at the Academy.  He had been a rock for David to cling too.  David shook his head.  How could he have been so stupid, not to go looking for the raccoon once he was out?

***

Shane let the microphone stand go.  The mic settled back into its upright position and his guitar hung limply around his neck.  The set was done and the band joined him in a bow as the crowd cheered.  The raccoon turned around and gave his tail a shake, waving it to the crowd in a big circle like a flag, who only applauded more.

The house lights came up, and Shane grinned a little as the band’s wolf drummer pushed past him in his rush to get off stage and to the bar.  Twenty minutes was a long time for Jimmy to go without a drink.  Shane stepped over to the mixing board, laid his guitar underneath it, and looked the hyena behind the keyboard synthesizer in the eye. 

The hyena smiled up at him, his earrings shining as he pulled his headphones down around his neck.  “JD, can you and Tommy take care of clean up?”  Shane said nervously, licking his lips as he indicated the other guitar player,  “I need to…  I have to go talk with the club owners…”  

The hyena licked the end of his own nose and laughed at the coon.  “Gods you’re a bad liar man.” JD playfully kicked Shane in the leg, “I saw him in the crowd dude, catch him before he bolts.”

  Shane’s throat dried up, his paws squeezing the top of the mixing board.  “Are you sure I should?  It’s been… we… I mean he’s…” 

“Dude, come on.”  The hyena patted the coon’s paws.  “You know you have to go, so GO.”  JD slipped his headphones back on and nodded to the next band as they got ready to play. 

“You find David.  I’ve got music to make.” The hyena’s paw squeezed the coon’s.  “And I’ll be there when you get home if you need me.”  Shane nodded, and hopped off the stage.

***

David waited nervously at the table.  Chris and Kevin were talking about the football game they were missing, which annoyed Alan to no end.  The kangaroo’s knee bounced, his fingers tapping the tabletop nervously as he watched the stage.  Shane had talked to the hyena in his band after the last song finished and now he was somewhere in the crowd between here and the stage.  David smiled as he saw the raccoon emerge from the crowd.

“Hey,” David whispered with a slight smile, standing up nervously to meet him. “Fancy meeting you here.”

Shane grinned a little, stuffing his paws into his pockets.  “Yeah, fancy that.  So you’re out.”  The raccoon said happily. 

David nodded once.  “Cause of you.”

Shane’s smile disappeared slowly.  “Why’d you come here instead of calling?” He said softly.

David ducked his head, his long ears turning backwards in shame as he turned towards his friends.  “These are some guys I’m going to school with now.  Chris is on the soccer team with me and Kevin’s the goalie.”  Shane shook hands with Kevin, but Chris didn’t even take his eyes off the waitress in his lap.  The leopard was too interested in his waitress friend to even notice Shane was there.  “And this is Alan.”  David finished, avoiding Shane’s eyes. “Alan is trying to find some guys for his band.”

Shane nodded as his bushy, striped tail swished through the air behind him as he shook hands with the rat. “Well then he came to the right place.  Mystic is always filled with people looking to be in a band.” 

Kevin looked around, trying to find something to say.  “Yeah, this place is really crowded.  Is it always like this?” 

Shane shook his head.  “Not always, this is the biggest open mic night I’ve seen here.  You play anything?” 

Kevin shook his head and his ears flattened against his head as the raccoon grinned at him, “Just soccer.” The dalmatian said with a blush.

Alan snorted in amusement, “Yeah well, there may be a lot of people here but not many of them are any good. Everybody is just doing bad covers of Bunny Boyz songs.”  The rat nearly hissed the named of the band, his ears turning backwards. 

David looked at Shane in confusion, and Shane grinned a little.  “One of the new boy bands who are making history and sweeping the charts.” 

Alan growled, “They’re a fad. I wish people would stop singing their songs and do something original.”

Shane held up his paws playfully, as if defending himself. “Hey now don’t knock people who do covers.  Its not easy writing your own songs.”  The raccoon playfully poked Alan in the chest, “And don’t knock the Boyz either, we can only hope we’ll end up that famous one day.”  Shane gave Alan a wink and smirked, “Though I hope to be singing my own songs by that point.” 

Alan snickered and grinned, his ears swiveling forward again, “Well I wouldn’t worry about that; your first song had the whole house in tears.  Where did you come up with a song like that? It had such passion…”

Shane smiled weakly, and Alan noticed his eyes darting to meet David’s for a moment.  “Well that’s something of a personal story actually.  You could say I got inspired by life with that one.”  The raccoon coughed, looking back at Alan, “Besides I’m not that great at writing music, just the lyrics.  It’s JD who does most of that.”  Shane’s smile returned, and he sort of bounced in place as he put his paws behind his back. 

“Who’s JD?” David asked softly.

Shane meet David’s gaze for a second and then shifted his gaze from David, eyeing the guys sitting behind the kangaroo at the table.  Shane looked back at the kangaroo for a second and twitched his right ear twice.  David’s eyes got really big and he twitched his own ear in response a little fearfully.  

That had been their signal back in the Academy.  They had used it to ask each other if the guys they were with were fellow tail raisers, and David did not what his new teammates to know he was gay.  Shane got the hint and quickly covered.

“A guy in my band.”  Shane said, looking back at the hyena on stage, “He’s been in our band nearly six months now.  He used to go to Roosevelt before you came David. He’s pretty good.  Does a lot of techno DJ stuff on the weekends.”

The table was silently for a moment until Kevin’s wristwatch began to beep, making the whole table turn to look at him.  The dalmatian blushed, his ears flattening as he fumbled with his watch to get it to stop beeping.

David groaned.  The kangaroo’s heart sank as he looked down at his own watch and then back up at Shane.  It was nine o’clock, and Mrs. Perez had been very explicit about being home by nine.  There was so much he wanted to say to the raccoon and now he had to leave because of a stupid curfew. 

“You have to go don’t you.”  Shane said softly.  It was a statement, not a question.  The look of sorrow in the raccoon’s eyes just made David want to die.

“Yeah,” David whispered, looking up into Shane’s eyes, “My foster mom has my curfew set at nine.” 

“And we’re headed to a party tonight,” Chris said cheerfully, handing his phone number to the waitress, still totally oblivious to what as really going on around him. “Since we’re his ride, we got to split.”  Chris got up, grabbing his letter jacket off chair and slipped it on. 

“You coming David?”  Chris said with a grin, turning his attention back to the waitress, who slipped her arm into his.  Kevin looked at David, and shrugged helplessly.  “I have too.” The kangaroo muttered sadly.

Alan frowned at the kangaroo as he got up to leave.  “You’re kidding right?  I haven’t even been able to ask him to join my band.” 

Shane laughed a little and grinned at the shorter rat.  “Pretty sure of yourself; aren’t you Mickey?” 

Alan stood up and flashed Shane a wicked grin.  “Damn right.  You’re good, but you guys messed up a lot, especially your drummer.  And you need somebody who can really write, cause while your first song rocked the rest fell flat.”  The rat held up his song notebook and grinned, his tail flicking back and forth. “So what’d yeah say?”

Shane stared at the rat for a second and grinned.  “We’ll see.  Can you stay and chat?”

 “Can if you give me a ride home.” Alan said, his whiskers spreading out as he grinned. 

“Sure. But you…” Shane said playfully, smiling at David as he poked the kangaroo in the chest. “You had better call me or I’ll track you down.” Shane gave David a loose, friendly hug.  The raccoon whispered softly in David’s ear so nobody else could hear,  “I’m not losing you a second time.”   

David slipped the raccoon a piece of paper with his phone number and address on it, and the raccoon did the same.  “Call me tonight okay?”  The kangaroo whispered.  Shane nodded, breaking the hug.  “Okay, you better pick up when I do.”

Shane sighed as David, Kevin and Chris slipped away into the crowd.  The raccoon had to keep himself from running after the kangaroo, grabbing him by the ears and kissing him as hard as he could.  But obviously David’s new friends had no idea he was gay, snd if there was one thing he had learned from Roosevelt academy it was that professing your love in public only got you hurt. 

 Alan frowned, his whisker twitching, “So, what’s up with you two? David said you were friends but neither of you seemed that happy to see each other.” 

Shane sighed and threw his arm around Alan’s shoulders, “Oh we are.  We’re real good friends, but it’s a long story.  Besides, right now I need a stiff drink and I want to see your song book.”  The raccoon grin, tapping Alan’s notebook as he led the rat towards the bar. 

Alan laughed, pulling his notebook away from the coon, “Yeah well, it’s going to cost you more then a drink to see my songs.” 

The raccoon grinned, Shane’s eyes sparkling in his mask of black fur, “We’ll see Mickey, come on.”

****

Alan laughed as Shane pushed him through the door.  “Oh no you don’t. I’m not going in your dump of an apartment, I can smell it from out here.” 

The raccoon chuckled as he stepped inside behind the rat.  “Yeah, yeah, garbage jokes with a raccoon.  Real original Mickey.” 

Alan smirked, “Oh and your Disney puns are any better?”

Shane laughed as he tossed his keys on the counter, “Alright, alright, truce?”  The raccoon grinned as he opened his fridge.

 “Find by me.”  Alan said with a smirk, his tail swishing back and forth as he looked around Shane’s apartment. 

Alan was so impressed by the coon’s apartment he whistled out loud.  Music equipment was everywhere.   A mixing board, speakers as tall as he was, pile after pile of CD’s, posters, and records.  Shane had everything.  The apartment was filled with more music then Alan had ever seen in one place.  Not an inch of wall space or tabletop was left bare.  There were enough records and tapes to open a pre-owned music store.

“So what do you think?”  Shane asked as he poured some orange juice and handed Alan a glass.

“Dude,” the rat muttered, “You’ve got everything in here, what are… Belch!”  Alan made a face and the rat nearly dropped his glass when the bitter taste hit his mouth.  He stared at the glass of orange juice and sniffed it.  “Alcohol?”  He asked Shane accusingly. 

“What, you telling me you don’t drink?” Shane said with a grin.

 Alan frowned, his ears flattening out.  “No.” the rat muttered as he wrinkled his nose at the vodka-laden drink. “I’m 18 idiot not 21, remember? I don’t do this kind of stuff.” 

Shane laughed as he flopped down on his couch, his bushy striped tail pluming out from between his legs.  “Oh you got to be kidding me.  You’re got earrings, a nice fur tattoo, and you’re telling me you don’t drink because you’re under age?  Please, don’t be a kid on me here Mickey.” 

Alan flattened his ears, his face growing hot a little as the raccoon made fun of him.  “I’m not a child.”  He took another drink and swallowed fast so it didn’t linger on his tongue.  “And we had a truce.” 

The raccoon grinned, “That we did, so I owe you an apology.”    The raccoon threw his arms open and gestured to the room, “What do you want to see?” 

Alan grinned and bent down next to the huge CD wall and grabbed a big binder labeled “Sting” is gold letters. “You’ve so go to show me your Sting collection, I’ve never seen this collector set before.” 

Shane laughed and watched as the rat sat down on the floor beside the couch, “You’ve got no idea what you’re holding there Alan.”   Shane grinned as Alan opened up the box and whistled again. 

“Dude, is this a set of signed CD’s?” 

Shane grinned and took a drink from his glass.  “Yep, sure is, and you’d never believe how I got it.”

***

David sighed as Kevin’s car pulled up to the curb in front of his house. Of course, it’s not really my house the kangaroo thought sourly.  The kangaroo opened the back door and climbed out as Chris rolled down the passenger side window. 

“You sure you can’t come with us to Leon’s party dude?” 

Kevin looked across the leopard and smiled nervously, “Yeah, I…” Kevin caught himself, “We didn’t really get to chat with you much.”    All three looked at the house as the front door opened and the short, feline figure of Mrs. Perez stepped out onto the porch.  The tigress was in her robe and hair curlers and it looked like she was holding a rolling pin in one hand. 

David shook his head, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet.  “No, I’ll catch hell if I do. Maybe next time okay?”  Chris nodded and slapped the side of the car.  “Alright dude, see you later.”  David stepped back as Kevin took off, padding his way to the house with his head down. 

“What do you think you’re doing, coming home so late?” The tigress said in a loud voice.    David looked at Mrs. Perez and surprised the urge to laugh.  The tigress looked rather silly in her oversized light blue bathrobe and curlers.  The kangaroo smirked a little.  In the darkness, she was doing her best to loom over him, even though he was taller, and she tapped the rolling pin against her paw just to make sure he knew it was there.  “I told you earlier.  I was with some of the guys on the team.”  David said, trying not to laugh. 

Mrs. Perez growled, a deep scowl creasing her forehead, the stripes on her face swirling in the moonlight.  “Don’t you give me that lie boy; that’s what my son says when he’s been out drinking and having sex.  Now get inside.”    She swung the rolling pin through the air slowly, forcing David inside with a hop.   “And no more phone calls!  You’ve been on that thing every night, and if I see one long distance call on my bill…” She shook the rolling pin after him as David ran to his room.

Once he was safely in his room with the door closed, the kangaroo had to cover his face with a pillow to drowned out the laughter.  After spending the last two years in Roosevelt Academy, being beaten, abused, and yelled at by maniac drill sergeants who hated gays enough to beat him senseless before trying to coax him into giving them head, a housewife in curlers was a joke.  David snickered as he found the cordless phone and laid down to wait for Shane’s phone call.

***

Alan was laughing with Shane so hard he couldn’t see straight.  Alan took a sip of his orange juice, which burned with the now familiar warmth of booze.  It was his fourth or fifth glass, he didn’t remember.  A few drops fell into his chest fur, which was better then on his shirt.  He’d taken that off at some point. Somebody had spilled something on it, but he couldn’t remember who had or what had spilled.  Alan tried to ask Shane where his shirt was, but his words just sort of tumbled out and made no sense at all.

Shane laughed, and Alan knew the coon was laughing at him, but he was too drunk to even care so he laughed too.  Alan had never met someone as cool as Shane.  The raccoon knew everything about music.  All the bands, the writers, the song lyrics, the record companies, he knew everything.  He was so cool it didn’t even matter that the coon was gay.  At some point the raccoon had told the rat, but Alan didn’t care.  Alan was just so happy that Shane liked him.

The rat threw back his head and finished the drink, a big smile on his face as he looked around Shane’s room.  There was just as much stuff in here as there had been out in the main room.  Posters for movies and bands Alan couldn’t recognize covered the walls and the only place to sit was the bed, which was now covered in spiral notebooks. 

The notebooks were filled with lyrics and pictures Shane had drawn.  Shane had spent the last few hours pouring over them with Alan, explaining different things and telling Alan everything that they meant.   It was all the art and music Shane had created in the last six months since he had left some school somewhere, and they drank, laughed and chatted about music together for what seemed like hours.  Alan had never had so much fun.  It was like peering into someone else’s mind for a few hours, and the rat liked what he saw.  Alan closed the songbook in front of him with a big grin, “So now what?” Alan muttered, “I think that was the last of your notebooks.” 

The raccoon grinned at Alan and took a sip from his beer, “I don’t know.  What do you want to do?”  Shane grinned as he leaned back until he found nothing to lean against but air.  Shane pin wheeled his arms, dropped the beer bottle and fell backwards off his bed with a yelp.  His bushy tail went sliding off the bed with the rest of him until just the tip was left sticking up over the side.

 Alan burst out laughing, shaking as he caught the bottle before it spilled all over the place.  The rat stood up triumphantly, tilled his head back and took a long drink from the coon’s beer to finish it.  Alan finished the beer just before he felt the sheets shift under him, and he ended up falling flat on his face.  The rat was sprawled across the bed with his head hanging over the edge, laughing. 

Alan grinned down at the raccoon.  Shane was sprawled across the floor with the blankets clutched in his paws and an idiot grin on his face that only made Alan laugh harder. 

“What are you laughing at?” The raccoon said with a grin as he sat up beside his bed, his face next to Alan’s. 

“You know what?”  Alan said with a stupid grin as Shane tried to finish the beer and found nothing left, “I have no fucking idea.” The rat finished.    Shane laughed and pushed himself up a little, turning around so he could lean back against his bed for support.  Alan tried to roll up to sit on the edge of the bed, and they ended up colliding.  Both boys were laughing and feeling really silly as they both just collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Alan sighed happily, his arms sort of tangled up with the raccoons as they lay on the floor.  It was comfortable here, sort of just collapsed on the floor with the raccoon under him.  It was nice the way the raccoon’s body pressed against his.  The raccoon was soft and fluffy.

Alan shook his head to try and clear that thought away, and instantly regretted it as the room spun out of control.  The rat muttered as he rubbed his temples, which were starting to throb gently. “What time is it?” he asked, with a grin on his face as he slid off the raccoon and stood up a little too fast.

“Don’t know.”  Shane muttered as he lay on the floor.  “Past midnight probably.”     

“Oooh man…” Alan muttered as he rubbed his temples, “I’ve got to go my parents are gonna freak…”

Shane reached up and grabbed the rat’s right hind paw and pulled his feet out from under him a second time.  Alan yelped and collapsed into a heap on the bed.  Alan rolled over and stared up at the ceiling, his head resting on the edge of Shane’s bed.  The raccoon sat up straight so Alan could just see him out of the corner of his eye.

“There’s no way I’m driving you home Alan.” Shane muttered with burp,  “I’m way to drunk for that.  Besides, it’s way to far for you to walk.  You’re gonna have to crash here tonight.” 

Alan tilted his head to the side to look at Shane.  “Yeah well where am I gonna sleep?  It’s not like you’ve got a spare couch to sleep on.” 

Shane grinned, “You saying you mind sleeping in my bed?”  

Alan laughed a little.  “Yeah right, like that’s going to happen.  I’m not gay, and even if I was I’m not that easy.  Besides, this thing is barely big enough for one person let alone two.    I’ll just crash on that bed in your spare room.” 

Shane patted the rat’s cheek playfully, “Can’t.  That’s JD’s bed.  Remember?  My roommate?  Not that he would mind sharing.” 

Alan blinked in surprise as Shane ruffled his head fur.  “Oh yeah…  Where is he?” 

Alan sat up slowly as Shane shrugged, “No idea, he probably stayed at the coffee shop late or hooked up with somebody…” The raccoon’s voice got real quite. “He doesn’t tell me everything…”

Alan rubbed his forehead and yawned.  “Well, either way I need something else to drink, I’m dying…”

Shane laughed and staggered to his feet, helping the rat as he tried to stand.  “No I think I’m cutting you off.  You’ve had more then enough for your first night of drinking.” 

Alan stumbled a bit as he crossed the floor, smiling happily.   “Fine I’ll have some water.  You got anything to eat?”

Shane grinned as Alan opened his door, “Yeah have anything in the fridge you want.”  Shane reached down and grabbed the phone from his bed stand.  “I’m going to make a call okay?”  Alan grinned as he walked out into the main room.

***

Alan padded into the kitchen and flooded the small room with light when he opened the fridge.  The door banged against the wall as he pushed a six-pack of beer to the side and grabbed the milk carton at the back.  He glared at the lightweight carton and shook it, sighing when only a few drops sloshed back and forth at the bottom. 

Alan dropped the carton into the raccoon’s trashcan and filled his glass up with water from the sink.  The rat’s tail began flicking back and forth as he began to hum one of Shane’s songs.  He stood in the raccoon’s kitchen in just his shorts, his ears perked and his whiskers spread out because of the huge smile on his muzzle.  Alan hadn’t felt this good in a long time.  He had just made friends with the coolest guy he had ever met and he let his good mood hang over him like a blanket as he opened the fridge again and began to rummage for something that looked safe to eat. 

Alan hummed happily to himself.  He was really lucky to have meet Shane.  The raccoon was so easy to talk to.  He actually listened when Alan talked. The raccoon even knew more about music then the rat did.  That was something Alan found hard to admit, but it was also kind of cool.  Alan grabbed an old Arby’s sandwich, unwrapped it and sniffed at it.  Alan grinned as he bit into the still good sandwich and closed the fridge. 

“Hey, what’d you think you are doing?” a gruff voice demanded.

Alan jumped as a hyena with yellow fur and brown spots padded his way into the kitchen.  Alan started to explain as the other male walked up to him and grabbed the sandwich out of his hand, “That’s my sandwich, thank you.” 

Alan’s ear’s twitched, and he stared at the hyena for a few seconds as the guy took a bite out of the sandwich as if he were laying claim to it.  The hyena was a little taller and in much better shape then he was.  He wasn’t wearing a shirt either.  Or pants.  Or even real underwear. 

Alan swallowed nervously as his eyes traveled down the taller boy’s body.  In fact the only thing the hyena was wearing was a white cotton jock strap which seemed to glow in the moonlight below his six-pack abs. 

“Who are you, and why are you eating my food?” The hyena muttered through a mouthful of beef as he waved the sandwich in Alan’s face, breaking the rat’s line of sight to his jockstrap.  The rat blinked and shook his head as he grabbed the sandwich back.  “I’m Alan, and Shane said I could have anything in the fridge.”  He glared up at the hyena, who had an unsettling wide grin.

“Did he?”  The hyena’s grin was defiantly a smirk.  The hyena crossed his arms over his chest and leaned to one side, tilting his head almost sideways.  “Well I doubt that included my food.  But since I haven’t seen you before, I guess you wouldn’t know that the top half of the fridge is mine and the bottom half is Shane’s.” 

Alan flicked his ears backwards and frowned, “Well, I’m sorry.”  Alan held out his paw, “I’m Alan. I guess you must be JD.”

The hyena continued to grin as he shook Alan’s paw firmly and held on to it.  “Must be.  So where’d you meet Shane?” 

“At the Mystic Brew tonight.  He came over to talk to a friend of mine after your set.”

The hyena’s grin broadened a little, his canines flashing in the moonlight. “Oh really, who?” 

“A guy named David I know from school.  He’s probably calling him right now.” Alan’s gaze left the hyena’s eyes and he stared down at his paw, which JD was still holding onto.  He numbly tried to let go of the hyena’s paw, as he muttered, “Anyway, sorry about the sandwich.” 

JD just continued to grin, his paw holding onto Alan’s, “Its cool, you can just pay me back later.” 

Alan furrowed his brow as JD held onto his paw still, and the rat took a bite of the sandwich without thinking.  “That works,” he muttered after he swallowed. Alan shifted uncomfortably and set the sandwich down on the counter, as JD seemed to inch a little closer to him.  It was really distracting to just be standing there with someone who was practically naked in an unfamiliar, moonlit apartment. 

Alan realized numbly that the hyena was still holding onto his paw.  He was just standing there, his head tilted to one side as if he had no intention of letting go.  Alan frowned at the hyena.  JD’s grin was really unsettling way and the taller hyena was effectively blocking his way out of the kitchen.  Alan tried to move back to more comfortable distance, but his back brushed against the wall.

“Um, so, you’re in Shane’s band right?”  Alan stumbled for something to break the sudden tension he felt, and JD nodded. 

“Yeah, among other things.” The hyena said, his head sort of moving up and down, as he looked Alan over.  The rat was a little surprised when the hyena’s paw began to rub his.  Alan swallowed nervously and flicked his ears backward as JD leaned forward.  The big hyena used his free paw to lean against the wall.  Alan glanced nervously at the hyena’s bicep, which was right next to his head, the strong muscle bulging as it propped the big hyena up.  JD’s bangs fell over his eyes, his grin gleaming in the night as his muzzle got much to close to Alan’s for the rat’s comfort.

“Other things?”  Alan whispered, his head turning to meet JD’s gaze.  The hyena’s muzzle was so close to the rat’s he thought they would bump together.  Alan swallowed nervously as the hyena’s green eyes stared at him.  He was just smiling down at Alan like nothing was wrong.  Alan shifted nervously, his paw wriggling in JD’s grasp as the hyena’s fingers continued to play across his paw.  He was way to close to the hyena but he couldn’t move back.  Alan’s stomach felt hollow as JD answered.

“Yeah, I do all sorts of stuff with Shane.  You know how it is.  Two musician’s just living life to its fullest.”  The hyena’s eyes seemed to sparkle, and he wagged his tail back and forth for a moment as his nose tested the air.  “How old are you Alan?”   The hyena said, still smiling.  Alan furrowed his brow and the hyena added, “If you don’t mind me asking.” 

Alan licked his lips, his thoughts fuzzy as he mumbled.  “Umm… why don’t you tell me how old you are?”

JD grinned slightly, “Fair enough.  I’m 23.”

 “I’m 18.” Alan muttered, his paw continuing to work its way out of JD’s big paw with no success. 

“Ah, so you’re too young to be drinking like you have been but still old enough to live life.” The hyena’s grin widened even more, and Alan glanced at the impressive row of teeth in front of him.  “I suggest you always live life to the fullest Alan.” 

“Yeah?”  Alan said with a slight grin, amused by the hyena’s toothy grin.  “How?”

JD just smirked as he whispered, “By never missing an opportunity…” and then he leaned forward the last two inches and kissed Alan on the lips.

Alan felt his body tense up as the hyena’s lips met his own.  It felt so strange. Having someone else’s lips pressed against his own for the first time made the rat’s mind go blank.  He just stood there in a daze and trembled a bit as the hyena’s mouth moved against his own as they kissed. 

The hyena’s lips were gone just as quickly as they had come.  JD grinned down at Alan as the rat blinked in surprise and let go of the rat’s paw.  The hyena’s breath washed over Alan’s cheek and the rat drew in a shuddering breath of his own. 

The rat didn’t know what to do as JD’s big paw pressed against his chest, the warm pad pressing firmly against the rat, the thick fingers digging into his fur and dragged downward.  The short stubs of JD’s claws ran across Alan’s skin, making the rat tense up and gasp a little in pleasure just as the hyena kissed him again.  Alan struggled a little this time even though it felt good.  He tried pushing JD away from him but the hyena’s paw cupped around his hip and he only succeeded in pulling himself forward into the hyena’s arms.  “Wait… wait what,” Alan furrowed his brow in confusion when JD broke the second kiss.  “What are you doing?” 

The hyena burst out laughing, his earrings moving slightly as he shifted his weight and stood right in front of Alan.  Their hips bumped together as the hyena muttered,  “Oh come on, I’m hitting on your dumb ass.” The hyena grinned, his paw sliding down the wall to rest on Alan’s shoulder. “For such a cute guy you’re really slow at this…” Alan shivered as JD’s muzzle bumped against his own in a slow nuzzle.  “Or is this your first time kissing another guy?”

Alan nodded nervously and JD’s grin got so wide Alan could see all his teeth.  “Oh my…  your first kiss with a guy…” The hyena’s paws began to gently rub Alan, one on his shoulder and the other on his hip, just above the waistband of his jeans as JD leaned in really close to Alan.  The hyena was almost pushing him against the cold wall.  “Was that your very first kiss ever?”

Alan trembled all over as he stared into the hyena’s green eyes and whispered the truth, “Yes…”

JD kept grinning, the hyena’s muzzle pressing against Alan’s as he pressed up against the rat, “And did you like it?” the hyena’s lips brushed against his ear as he spoke.

Alan gasped as JD’s body pressed him firmly against the wall, and for the first time he realized just how much bigger and stronger the hyena was.  JD was nearly a head taller and the hyena’s abs gave no ground when Alan’s paws pushed against them.  He couldn’t escape the hyena, and he wasn’t sure he wanted too.

Alan fanned out his whiskers, brushing them across the hyena’s face as he began to pant for breath.  The hyena’s scent filled the rat’s nose, a rich earthy scent like the open plains.  Alan could feel JD’s strong thighs rub against his own, the powerful curve of his calf muscle flexing against the inside of his leg as Alan stared up into JD’s eyes.  Alan gasped and shivered in fear as he felt something firmly pressing into the crotch of his jeans, rubbing gently against where his sheath was hidden. 

“Well hot stuff?  You like it or not?”  JD whispered softly, his expression completely calm.  It was as if he were waiting for the bus instead of rubbing bodily against another male.  Alan’s lips trembled as he tried to think, tried to work out what was happening, but all he could do was dig his finger’s into the hyena’s shaggy chest fur and breath in the hyena’s scent. 

“Yes…” Alan whispered finally, his ears flattening against his head as he looked down at the hyena’s jock strap to confirm his suspicions.  Alan swallowed nervously and stared at the way JD’s cock tented out the front of his jock strap lewdly.  Alan could even make out the head of the hyena’s cock as it rubbed against the bulge of his jeans, and the hyena’s scent was beginning to change to a stronger, muskier version of his normal scent.

“You want to touch it?”  JD whispered softly, and Alan’s gaze snapped back up to the hyena’s face.  JD was just smiling at him as if nothing were wrong, as if they were just talking normally instead of pressed together half naked and horny.  JD leaned his head forward again and Alan trembled in his grip, knowing JD was going to kiss him again.  “You can if you want,” the hyena’s lips brushed against Alan’s own, “You can do anything you want to my cock.” JD finished as he kissed Alan again. 

Alan moaned despite himself, shaking as his lips pressed against JD’s.  The hyena just closed his eyes and focused only on kissing him, and Alan felt his knees go weak as the hyena’s tongue gently pressed against his lips, coaxing Alan to open his mouth gently.  The taste of the hyena’s mouth flooded Alan’s thoughts, and the rat’s right paw began to slip downward. 

His paw pressed against JD’s abs, his fingers running over then until they reached the band of the hyena’s jock strap.  Alan began to breath fast, his nostrils flaring as JD continued to kiss him slowly and passionately as the rat’s paw slipped down into the jockstrap and closed around the hyena’s throbbing cock.

JD gasped as the rat’s paw wrapped around his dick, breaking the kiss for just a moment.  A look of sheer bliss covered his face for one second, his grin a genuine smile of pleasure, before the hyena dived back into the kiss.  JD’s whole body tensed up and his tongue went diving into Alan’s muzzle as the hyena kissed him.  Alan whimpered as a big hyena paw grasped the back of his head, forcing him to turn his head to the side, their muzzles messing in a much deeper kiss.  Alan closed his eyes tightly as he squeezed his paw around the hyena’s dick and moaned into the hyena’s mouth, overwhelmed. 

Alan felt like he was disconnected from his body.  He could feel JD’s muzzle locked with his own the hyena kissed him, the hyena’s agile tongue diving into his mouth and twisting with his own. His chest heaved as the hyena pushed him against the wall, the hyena’s breathing dictating when he could breathe as the strong chest pressed against him.  Alan could feel the smooth skin of JD’s cock sliding across the pad of his paw as he gently fondled the hyena, his paw softly rubbing up and down the hard shaft of the hyena’s cock.  Alan could feel the hyena’s cock pulsing in his grip, JD’s heartbeat making his cock throb in the rat’s paw.  He could even feel the slick bead of pre leaking from the tip and smearing across his paw. 

Alan gasped for air as JD broke the kiss, and the rat began to pant in panic.  He shivered as JD’s lips began to kiss his face, his broad tongue slowly sliding across his cheek, tracing its way along the right side of his muzzle.  Alan felt like his heart was going to explode as JD pressed against him, the hyena’s strong chest muscles pressing against his own sleek body as JD whispered.  “You’re going to do a more then just touch me, right Alan?” 

Alan trembled in the hyena’s grip as JD’s lips began to gently nibble on his right ear.  The sensation sent shivers running down his spine.  It made his own cock throb in his jeans, and he instinctively squeezed the cock he was holding.  But it was all too much.  Alan began to shake his head, “No… no stop…” the rat whispered, his whole body quaking as JD pulled his head back. 

“Really?” the hyena said with another grin, his broad tongue licking the end of his nose, “This enough for your first time huh?”  Alan nodded slowly and let go of JD’s dick, his paw trembling as he pulled it out of the hyena’s jock strap, which failed to cover the hyena’s hard dick again. 

“What a shame…” JD whispered softly, his lips brushing against the rat’s again.  “I was hoping I could show you how…” Alan gasped as JD slid a paw down his body and grabbed his the front of his pants, “you live life to its fullest…” JD whispered, grinning like a maniac as he rubbed the rat’s hard cock through the fabric of his pants. 

Alan closed his eyes and shivered, licking his lips as the hyena’s warm paw gripped him.  The rat shook his head again and JD sighed softly, letting go of the rat’s trapped member. 

“Oh well…” the hyena whispered into the rat’s ear, “but the offer is always there Alan…”

Alan squeaked a little as JD kissed his neck and then suddenly the hyena’s body was gone.  JD stepped back, grabbed the long forgotten sandwich and took a bite before  laying it on the counter again.  And then he just walked away with his tail swishing back and forth.  Alan panted, gasping in the moonlight as the hyena stopped at the end of the kitchen and gave him a wink, lifted his tail up and flashed his ass once to the shocked rodent and then was gone, disappearing back into his bedroom. 

Alan curled his arms around his chest, put a paw to his throat and swallowed hard.  What the hell was that?  That guy, he thought to himself, he just… he just felt me up and kissed me for no reason. Alan curled his tail tightly around one leg and he sucked in a slow breath. And he even got me to do it back….  I was touching his… Alan jerked his paw away from his throat and he stared at the few drops of the hyena’s pre that clung to his fingers, sparkling in the moonlight.

The hyena’s scent still filled the air, but the musky, rich scent was fading away.  Alan licked his lips nervously and pressed his paw to his muzzle, his tongue licking the drops of pre-cum away from his fingers.  He couldn’t really taste anything; just a hint of salt, but the smell was deep and rich.  He wondered what if that was how the hyena’s crotch would have smelled like up close.  He could have found out… he still could…

Alan shook the thought from his head.  His paws trembled and his legs faltered a little as he dashed to Shane’s room.

***

Alan burst into Shane’s room and slammed the door behind him, gasping for air.  The room was dark and the only light was coming from the moon outside the window over Shane’s bed. 

Shane sat up on his bed in surprise, the phone pressed to his ear.  The raccoon rubbed his face and asked, “What happened?” when he saw how scared Alan was.  The coon looked confused and said into the phone, “No, not you, Alan just came in, hold on.” 

Shane set the phone down on his bed and got up, walking across the cluttered room with no difficulty.  “What’s wrong Alan?”  Shane’s face weaved in the air in front of him, and Alan closed his eyes to make the room stop spinning. 

Alan gasped, trying to force the words out, “JD, he was in the kitchen and….” Alan waved his hands and Shane grabbed them, trying to steady the rat. 

“Okay, calm down. Take deep breaths and calm down.”  Alan took a couple deep breaths, staring at the raccoon’s mask of black fur.  Silence hung in the room as Alan calmed down, his head moving in a slow circle because he was so drunk. “I was in the kitchen, and JD kissed me… and I tried to stop him but I didn’t and he did it again, and he wasn’t wearing any clothes and I just…” 

Shane groaned softly, and pressed a finger to the rat’s lips.  “Shush… its okay… look it doesn’t mean anything.  JD tries to kiss every guy he meets; he’s just really flirtatious…”

“No” Alan nearly shouted, and then lowered his voice.  “It wasn’t the kiss that… I… well he…” Alan let his words trail off, unable to tell the coolest musician he’d ever met that he had just touched another guy’s cock and liked it.  Even if the raccoon was gay, he’d never respect him. 

Shane looked the rat in the eye and patted his shoulder.  “It doesn’t mean you’re gay.”   Alan’s fur bristled and his tail lashed against the door.  “I know that!” he hissed.

Shane laughed softly.  “Good.  Now go to sleep.  I’m going to finish talking to David in the main room.”  The raccoon patted his shoulder and flashed him a grin as he grabbed the phone. 

Shane slipped out the door, whispering, “Hey David I’m back.  No, nothing serious…” 

Alan sighed as Shane closed the door behind him.  The rat leaned against the door, the back of his head pressed against the wood.  He’d never been so confused in his entire life.  Slowly, music began filtering into the room, a slow steady techno beat coming from the room on the other side of the wall.  From JD’s room. 

A flash of lighting illuminated the room briefly, and a roll of thunder followed a few moments later.  Alan just stood there, panting as the music mixed with the sound of falling rain.  Alan walked over to the window and looked outside as the rain began to pour, the sound pounding off the window in a strange counterpoint to JD’s music.  Alan stared at his own faint reflection in the window for a few moments.  The look in his eyes was haunted, and he closed the blinds and threw the room into darkness to block the image out.  Alan lay down on the raccoon’s bed and fell into a restless sleep.

Go To Chapter 12: The 'Big' Game